”Mother Prague has clutches,” Franz Kafka wrote nearly one hundred years ago. Prague’s convoluted streets may keep you in those clutches loving every second of it. Anyone who has wandered around the city's cobbled streets and Gothic alleyways and seen the moon hover behind the towers and pinnacles of Europe’s most beautiful capital will definitely come back.

The City

After the ’Velvet Revolution’ in 1989, Prague became an international metropolis with all the usual trappings, but it has also managed to successfully retain its unspoiled local character. The Czech capital is small and compact, with hospody (beer-houses) that offer the world’s best beers stationed on every street corner. The most important areas are the central districts of the city: Staré Město (Old Town), Josefov, Nové Město (New Town), and Malá Strana (Lesser Town). These are best explored on foot. In recent years, the district of Vinohrady (Vineyards) has established itself as the district favoured by Pražani (the Prague inhabitants), and the restaurants and cafes lie closely packed.

When you visit Prague, it is worth remembering that not only does the city boast an impressive history, which stretches back many hundreds of years, but it has also fostered prominent architects, artists, and designers of the 20th century. Prague was once the centre of Central European modernism, a fact which today, after a long period of dictatorship, has almost faded into oblivion. During recent years, modernist Czech architecture and interior design have experienced a recovery, and there is nearly always a good exhibition to see.

Do & See

The Czech capital is small and compact, with hospody (beer-houses) offering the world’s best beers stationed on every street corner. The most important areas are the central districts of the city: Staré Město (Old Town), Josefov, Nové Město (New Town), and Malá Strana (Lesser Town). These are best explored on foot.

Staronová Synagoga (Old-New Synagogue)

Karlův most (Charles Bridge)

Veletržní palác (National Gallery Prague)

Prague Castle and St. Vitus’ Cathedral

Czech Beer Tasting

Astronomical Clock

Catch local acts

Bungee Jumping

Divadlo Minor

Casino

Prague Zoo

KGB Museum

Mind Maze

Prague Shooting Trips

Rudolfinum

Kampa Park

Grévin Wax Museum Prague

Old Town Square

Obecní dům (Municipal House)

Dining

Many international cuisines have been introduced to the Prague restaurant scene, but the Central European fare still dominates. Classic Czech meals include Svíčková (roast beef with cream sauce), and the national dish, Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (pork with sauerkraut and dumplings). These can be had at any hospoda—beerhouse—along with a cold pilsner.

Kolkovna

Cantina

La Lavande

Malý Buddha (”Little Buddha”)

Restaurant Baroque Angels

Bellevue

Maitrea

Indian by Nature

Ristorante Carmelita

La Casa Argentina

La Veranda

Coda

Cafés

Prague has always been a good town for cafes. Around the turn of the last century this meant large middle class premises—which re-opened during the 1990's—and after the Velvet Revolution of 1989, a lot of smaller, cosy cafes with bric-à-brac décor were opened.

Café Slavia

Café Louvre

Kavárna Obecní dům

Mistral Café

Bohemia Bagel

Bars & Nightlife

Prague has a lively nightlife and anyone who so wishes can easily find a place to dance the night away until dawn. Most Pražani (the Prague inhabitants) start the evening at one of the city’s many bars, cafes, or beer houses.

Radost FX

Palác Akropolis

Baráčnická Rychta

Bugsy’s Bar

Vinograf

Agharta Jazz Centrum

Tynska Bar and Books

Absintherie

Bar No. 7

Ice Pub Prague

Double Trouble Bar

Jazzdock

M1 Lounge

Prvni Pivni Tramway

Nebe Cocktail & Music Bar

Dejavu Music Club

Fancy Lounge

Shopping

If you want to shop for uniquely Czech products in Prague, you should visit the small boutiques selling domestic designer clothes, and look for reproductions of the utility designs created by Czech modernists in the 1920s and 1930s—both sectors have grown considerably in recent years. Another traditional item to shop for is Bohemian cut glass.

Designer Clothes

Main Shopping Areas

Antiques and Art

Cut glass

Czech Design

Palladium Shopping Centre

Shopping Centre Letňany

Queens. The Streetwise Store

Vinohrady Farmers Market

Artel

Essential Information

Passport / Visa

The Czech Republic can be visited visa-free for up to 90 days by citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, UAE and most countries in America. If you are unsure whether or not you need to apply for a visa, we recommend contacting the embassy or consulate in your country. International (non-Schengen) travelers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip in order to enter the Schengen zone. Citizens of Schengen countries can travel without a passport, but must have a valid ID with them during their stay.

Best Time to Visit

Prague is appealing in any season and has lots to offer throughout the year. The city is at its busiest during the summer months of July and August. Late spring and early fall are a little less crowded, whereas the slowest times are during the cold months of November, January, February, and March, so if you don't mind the cold and prefer fewer tourists, this would be a good time for you to travel to Prague.
If you are thinking of coming to Prague in early spring, try to schedule your trip around Easter when Prague is decorated and Easter markets are open.

Airport

Ruzyne Airport is located 20 kilometres to the northwest of the city centre. There are minibuses with shared fares. They take you to Metro A Station Dejvická and to Metro B station Námešti Republiky in Central Prague.

The cheapest solution is to go by bus. Number 119 will drop you at the Metro A station Dejvická, and bus number 100 at Metro B station Zličín (change to Metro B to get to the city centre). You can buy a transfer ticket, valid for 75 minutes, in the flight terminal or at the ticket vending machine at the bus stop. The bus runs between 4 am and midnight.

The Airport Express runs via Terminal North 1 – Terminal North 2 – Nádraží Holešovice Metro and train station (change to metro line C to get to the city centre).

Address: K Letišti 6/1019, Prague

Phone: +420 220 111 888 / +420 220 111 111

Website: www.prg.aero/en#/

Public Transport

The underground, buses and railway operate daily from 4 am to 12.15 am (night service every 30 minutes). Tickets can be purchased in tobacco shops and ticket vending machines and are valid for 1 hour. You can choose to get an e-ticket or receive it as a text message.

For more information, see:

Website: www.dpp.cz/en/

Taxi

For tourists, a taxi journey in Prague often turns out to be an expensive treat. If you want to travel by taxi then call a reliable taxi firm, such as AAA. Their phone number is 140 14.

Email: hotline@aaataxi.cz

Phone: +420 222 333 222 / 14 014

Website: www.aaataxi.cz/en/

Post

The Main Post Office is located at Jindřišká 14, Praha 1 and is open every day from 2 pm-12 am.

Address: Jindřišká 909/14, Prague

Phone: +420 221 131 111

Website: www.ceskaposta.cz/en/

Pharmacy

A pharmacy, which is available around the clock, can be found by calling:
+420 224 946 982.

Pharmacy Dr.Max:

Address: Vodičkova 40, Prague

Phone: +420 224 235 847

Website: www.drmax.cz

Electricity

220 V/50 Hz

Telephone

Country code: +420
Area code: there is none; it is already included in every local telephone number.